YOUR AD HERE »

Great Harvest Bread Company shares love with community

Brittany Markert
bmarkert@gjfreepress.com
Chad and Heidi Ragland, owner and operator of Grand Junction's Great Harvest Bread Company, have lived in Colorado's Grand Valley for 13 years.
Brittany Markert / bmarkert@gjfreepress.com | Free Press

GO&DO

WHAT: Downtown Grand Junction Farmers Market

WHEN: Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Third through Seventh streets along Main Street, Downtown Grand Junction

COST: Free to attend

INFO: http://www.downtowngj.org

It took one trip to Grand Junction for Heidi and Chad Ragland to find their slice of heaven and open a Great Harvest Bread Company (2464 Highway 6 & 50, #130) more than a decade ago.

“We visited Grand Junction one time and felt so good about it here,” Ragland said. “We decided to open a bakery here and haven’t looked back.”

While it may be a franchise, the Raglands operate the store as if it’s their own business they started from the ground up. They are able to operate the store how they want, including providing Colorado’s Grand Valley support through fundraising efforts and donations of old bread.



They make between 250 and 400 loaves of bread each day using five basic ingredients — flour, yeast, water, salt and local honey. The honey is made from the Raglands backyard beekeeping business. The couple uses local fruits when possible as well, especially during peach season for its sour cream peach bread. They also grind their own wheat each day. A variety of loaves are baked including honey whole wheat, harvest white, cinnaburst, and spinach feta.

According to Ragland, using only fresh ingredients means it will taste better and last longer.



“We make it just like grandma makes it,” Ragland said.

After 28 hours, the loaves are discounted, or donated to local food banks.

Each loaf lasts around seven to 10 days with proper storage. Free slices are available each visit at the store, as well as when they are attending the downtown Grand Junction farmers market on Thursdays.

Store hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The store also offers sandwiches, soup, desserts, pastries, cooking mixes and more. Gift baskets and catering are also available.

“One thing we are able to do with our business and love to do is give back to the community,” Ragland said. “We give back because we are part of the community. It’s a good place for families to live and if we can’t help each other and our neighbors, we aren’t doing out job and moral obligation.”

The store has donated free loaf vouchers to dozens of local events include Girls on the Run. They also donate bread bowls to the Empty Bowls Project every year.

“Those are the kind of things we love to do and we are so blessed to do that,” Ragland added.

To learn more, visit http://www.ghgrandjunction.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.